Safety

Takata Reportedly Negotiating Criminal Settlement

September 28, 2016
• by Staff

Air bag photo courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Takata Corp. has begun negotiating with the U.S. Department of Justice to reach a settlement in the criminal case against the automotive supplier whose exploding air bag inflators have been tied to more than a dozen deaths globally, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Future criminal charges might ultimately include wire fraud as part of a Takata cover-up attempt, but specific charges are still pending, according to the newspaper. The exploding air bag inflators have been linked to more than 100 injuries and at least 10 deaths in the U.S. alone.

Multiple automakers have cumulatively recalled about 70 million Takata air bag inflators in the U.S. They are being replaced, in staggered fashion, according to the level of risk. The replacement process will conclude in 2019.

Investigators have determined that a combination of time, exposure to moisture, and fluctuating temperatures accelerate degradation of the air bag inflator’s chemical propellant — ammonium nitrate.

Of the 245,000 Takata air bag inflators that have already been removed from vehicles and tested, 660 have ruptured, according to a Bloomberg report based on documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will hold a public meeting on Sept. 14 to collect public feedback about its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) that determines crash worthiness and rollover safety, according to the agency.

Humidity can bring on thunderstorms with little or no warning. So now that's it peak summertime, it's a good time to remind your drivers how to stay safe if they find themselves on the road during a potentially hazardous electrical storm.

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that while electronic safety systems such as advanced cruise control, collision mitigation, and lanekeeping can help save lives, improper use can lead to fatal accidents.

Phantom Auto will begin testing autonomous vehicles in Sacramento, Calif., under a new agreement with the city that allows testing with no occupants in the car. The vehicles will be operated by remote drivers at computers in Silicon Valley, reports the Sacramento Bee.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has released updated voluntary guidelines asking autonomous vehicle (AV) makers testing in the state to put a second safety engineer in the passenger seat.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling an estimated 1.14 million 2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with a power locking tailgate and a 5-foot-7-inch or 6-foot-4-inch bed because of tailgate latch issues.